In a major escalation of cross-border hostilities, Pakistan attempted to strike the revered Golden Temple in Amritsar using drones and long-range missiles during the early hours of May 8, in apparent retaliation to India’s Operation Sindoor — a precision military strike targeting nine terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.

The chilling revelation was made by Major General Kartik C. Seshadri, General Officer Commanding (GOC), 15th Infantry Division, during a briefing on Monday. “Knowing that the Pak Army does not have any legitimate targets, we anticipated that they would target Indian military installations, civilian targets including religious places. Of these, Golden Temple appeared to be the most prominent,” Maj. Gen. Seshadri told ANI.

To counter the expected retaliation, the Indian Army had preemptively deployed advanced air defence systems around key sites, including the Golden Temple. “We mobilised additional modern air defence assets to give a holistic air defence umbrella cover to Golden Temple,” he said.

The Pakistani assault began under the cover of darkness in the early hours of May 8, launching what the Army described as a “massive air assault” comprising unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and missile systems.

“We were fully prepared since we had anticipated this, and our braveheart and alert Army air defence gunners thwarted Pakistan Army's nefarious designs and shot down all drones and missiles targeted at the Golden Temple. Thus, not allowing even a scratch to come on our holy Golden Temple,” Maj. Gen. Seshadri added.

The Indian Army showcased its interception capabilities using systems like the AKASH missile defence and L-70 Air Defence Guns, which neutralised all incoming threats aimed not only at Amritsar but also Jammu, Srinagar, Pathankot, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, and Bhuj. Loud explosions were reportedly heard across Kashmir that night.

A statement from the Defence Ministry confirmed the attacks and praised the seamless integration of India’s Integrated Counter-UAS Grid and Air Defence systems, which played a crucial role in preventing civilian and religious casualties.

These failed strikes follow Operation Sindoor, India’s targeted retaliation to the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that claimed the lives of 26 civilians.